Corona Devo 159
God created us and all of the world around us. Did you know that it is right for us and nature to praise Him?
Our lives may be a bit topsy-turvy and perhaps we might not feel like praising the Lord depending on the day or our mood, but that does not change the respect and glory that the Lord is due from us. And when we give Him honor, respect, thanks and glory: it is called "praise".
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. ~Psalm 107:1
We might have a bad day or a bad couple-of-days, or even a bad quarantine, but does nature have bad days that delay or impede it from praising the Lord? I've never observed it. I have observed robust bursts of color in fall leaves, burning sunsets, white blankets of snow, and rainbows arched across the sky. There are scientific explanations for these occurrences, but I absorb them as creation praising it's Maker. We could take a few cues from nature.
And perhaps sometimes nature takes a cue from us. Last week I was blessed to be a part of some outdoor (socially distanced) worship. It was so powerful to be in (distanced!) community worship and to feel God's presence as we praised Him in music. And apparently, Creation could not help but join in. I kid-you-not: the locusts within the tree branches surrounding us got louder and louder in their humming (screaming!), as our voices gained volume. It was no coincidence...they gained volume and palpable momentum as our united praises were lifted to the Lord. I felt it: us and creation praising the Lord together.
It reminded me of the Pharisees who yelled at Jesus when the people were praising Him on His way to Jerusalem, and Jesus said, "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." (Luke 19:40). Well--we experienced that, except it was the locusts crying out to praise the Lord.
God made us and everything else--it is right to give Him praise!
And have you ever seen a shooting star? Heck, when was the last time you (1) stayed up late enough (2) paused long enough (3) remembered to look up at the glorious white dazzles that God hangs on a black canvas every night right outside your window?
The stars are a blatant reminder of God's sovereignty over creation, His dominion for so long, and His creativity.
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. ~Psalm 19:1
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created... ~Psalm 148:1-6
All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.” ~Psalm 66:4
I was blessed to witness a meteor shower the other night. It reminded me of stars cartwheeling across the sky. Graceful, awe-inspiring and feels like once-in-a-lifetime to see. I also could not help thinking that if stars or meteors are going to "praise" God, this is what it would look like! Shooting arcs of white light against a black sea. All of the twinkling and shining going on up there defines what the Bible teaches us--All the earth worships you and sings praises to you (Psalm 66:4).
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